Injury
by beccagrib
Summary: Evan has a mysterious illness that causes him to get hurt. Will Hank be able to rescue him in time?
1. Injury

Please enjoy. This is my first fan-fiction.

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Royal Pains.

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Evan awoke with a start. The throbbing pain in his gut hadn't subsided and actually felt worse than the previous two days. He was unusually groggy but felt suddenly alert as a wave of nausea overtook him. He jumped out of bed and raced towards the bathroom but knew he wouldn't make it. The large decorative vase near his bed received a shower of last night's dinner as he emptied his stomach contents into it.

Groaning and gagging once more, he dragged it to the bathroom and struggled as he tried to dump it into the toilet. Unable to lift it, he determined it would be easier to drag it outside and wash it with the hose. He knew there was a risk of waking Henry, but he also knew that he couldn't sleep in a room smelling of vomit. Henry was usually a heavy sleeper so Evan decided he could accomplish his task successfully, as long as he didn't bump into anything.

Evan had been avoiding Hank since the pain first started. He knew his brother was very observant and could detect the slightest amount of pain in the faces of his patients. Unfortunately for Evan, he hated being an object of scrutiny under the watchful eyes of his older brother, more so than he hated being sick. The incessant worry in his brother's eyes would only make his stomach more upset with nervousness and he discovered long ago that it was better to suffer in silence than to bring his ailments to the attention of his brother, or any doctor for that matter.

Evan began his journey downstairs as quietly as he could manage. By the time he dragged the vase to his bedroom door, he was out of breath and slightly lightheaded. He sat down for a moment to rest and contemplated leaving the vase in the bathroom until morning but Henry's worried expression popped into his mind. Evan gathered up his strength and began dragging it once more. He reached the staircase and slid the vase down one stair at a time. With each stair the task became more and more difficult.

Halfway down Evan stopped, cringing, as a stabbing pain pierced through his abdomen. While doubled over in pain, another wave of nausea hit him and bile burned in the back of his throat as he fought to keep what was left of last night's dinner from reappearing. He began to sit down but dizziness enveloped him as he bumped into the vase sending it rolling down the remainder of the stairs to its shattered death at the bottom.

Evan tried to regain his balance, no longer caring about making too much noise but felt as if the room were moving around him. He finally gave in to his dizziness and tumbled down the stairs, the pain increasing with each bump of his body until he came to a halt, landing on the mess of shards and puke at the bottom of the staircase.

Evan's world spun around him as the color left his vision and blackness clouded his mind.

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Any reviews are appreciated. I'm sure my grammar could probably use some work. The next chapter will be uploaded within the week. You can expect four or five chapters in all. Thanks for reading. Enjoy!


	2. Rescue

I was too excited to wait. Hope everyone likes chapter two.

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Hank was sleeping soundly, dreaming of the last date he had had with Jill before their official break up. In the dream they stopped at Chewy's for a bite to eat after taking a long, peaceful stroll along the shoreline. Suddenly a large wave appeared above the building and Hank instinctively grabbed the building with one hand, reaching for Jill with the other. When he looked back at her, her stool seemed to be 10 feet away and the wave crashed down instantly, her body disappearing beneath the sea foam.

He awakened suddenly from his dream partly because of what happened to Jill and partly because of the strange banging he heard coming from the stairs. He longed to have Jill back with him and thought that if he went back to sleep, she would return in his dreams, but the banging didn't stop. Sighing and slightly worried he turned on his lamp and lazily climbed out of bed, stretching and glancing at the clock. It was three thirty in the morning and Hank recalled that Evan had gone to bed early, claiming that he needed more beauty rest to make his hair glossier.

Hank had the slight suspicion that Evan wasn't feeling well but didn't want to annoy his brother so he studied him from afar and didn't share his concerns. Hank thought about the symptoms he had read from Evan's face earlier that day: flushed cheeks, fatigue, a loss of appetite, and sheen of sweat across his brow. "I will have to confront him about it in the morning," thought Hank, as an alarming thumping came from the stairs, followed by a cry of pain and moaning.

Hank snapped out of his fog and rushed to the staircase, horrified at the sight below him. His little brother was covered in blood, lying awkwardly at the bottom of the stairs along with a shattered piece of pottery, surrounded by a mess of vomit. He rushed to Evans side while visually examining Evan's tattered body. He had multiple lacerations covering his face, hands, and knees. He noted that the large laceration near Evan's right temple looked the most severe.

Upon reaching his baby brother his heart sank at the severity of his injuries. Evan's wrist had a severe open fracture and his ankle was either fractured or badly sprained. Hank knelt down next to his brother's face, not caring about cutting up his own knees and bare feet in the process. Hank could tell he was breathing and he checked for a pulse. It was faster than he would like but still within a normal range. Hank rubbed his knuckles against Evan's sternum and nearly shouted, "Evan you need to wake up! Open your eyes if you can hear me!" Evan moaned and opened his eyes, clearly a little disoriented.

He looked at Hank and said, obviously annoyed, "Hank, it's only a stomach bug, no need to freak. I'm perfectly fine."

Hank looked at him confused, "Evan, you are hurt pretty badly, you fell down the stairs. I'm going to take care of you, just don't move." Evan didn't understand what Hank was saying. He knew he was sick but how could he be hurt? He just woke up. As his mind cleared slightly he recognized the stabbing in his abdomen and he pulled his knees up to his stomach while placing his hands over his midsection. Hank responded instantly, "Don't move Evan, what hurts?" Hank grabbed his bag and began a full exam while waiting for Evan to respond.

"Chill out man, it's just my stomach," responded Evan.

"Were you sick before you fell? Is that why there is vomit everywhere? What are your symptoms?" Evan became more alert and finally realized what had happened. He looked around and tried to sit up but was instantly pushed back down. "Don't move Ev, I need to check you for injuries. Your wrist is broken and possibly your ankle too," said Hank.

"Oh, I was sick. I threw up in my vase. I was going to bring it outside and wash it with the hose but I was dizzy. I must have dropped it."

"Okay Evan, just don't move. I'm going to call for an ambulance and for Divya. I'm also going to feel around and check you for injuries. Do you feel any pain right now?"

"Don't worry about it Hank, I'm fine," said Evan as he tried to resist treatment.

"Evan. You definitely have a fever and you fell down the stairs. I need you to describe any symptoms you had before you fell and any pain you are experiencing right now."

Suddenly overcome again by the stabbing pain in his gut, Evan moaned and stubbornly admitted, "Ugh, well my stomach has been hurting for three days, but it's worse now than it's ever been." Hank hated to see his little brother in pain and as calm as he looked, he was tearing himself up inside for not examining his brother the night before. He knew Evan would have been annoyed but if he had followed his instincts, this wouldn't have happened. Hank pushed his feelings aside and let the doctor in him take control of the situation.

"Can you point to the part of your stomach that hurts, with your right hand please?"

"Huh? Your weird, why my right hand?" Evan asked as he lifted his left arm up, studying it. "Oh, wow! Hank – my arm. Is that – my bone?" The color drained from Evan's face as he stared at it with horror. He tried to get up again but Hank pushed him down and held him there. His calmness kept Evan from hyperventilating.

"Evan, you are going to be okay. I promise. You need to let me handle everything. Just lay still and tell me exactly where it hurts. Try to ignore your abdominal pain and focus on the rest of your body. I'm going to ask you some simple questions. Okay?"

Evan nodded as the confidence in Hank's voice comforted him and he relaxed as much as could be expected. "Okay Evan. Can you move your fingers and toes?"

"Yeah."

"Good, do you feel any numbness or tingling?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Can you tell me what day it is?'

"Wednesday."

"Alright, I'm going to examine your head now. Does any of this hurt?" Hank began to probe his head and Evan immediately protested.

"Ow! What are you doing? Hitting me with a hammer?"

"You definitely have a lump here; I was just feeling for a fracture. It seems alright though. Your head is bleeding a bit; can you hold this with your right hand and try to give it a little pressure?"

"Okay. Not like I have anything better to do," he muttered, trying to sound like his usual self.

"Now I'm going to feel your face. Any pain around here?" he asked as he felt Evan's facial bones.

"No."

"Good. Now open your mouth for me." Evan cooperated and opened his mouth while Hank inspected his mouth and nose for injury and airway obstruction. Finding nothing significant, he continued with his exam. Hank cut off Evans shirt while searching for visual abnormalities. He slid his hands along the sides of Evan's body, checking for major bleeding. He noted slight bruising around the rib cage but nothing to signify internal bleeding. He listened for breath sounds and everything sounded normal. Suddenly there was a loud knock at the door and Divya burst through simultaneously.

"Oh Evan," gasped Divya.

"Thanks for coming so fast," said Hank. "Can you get c-spine while I grab the spinal board?"

"Of course," she responded. "How are you doing Evan?"

"Better now that you're here," he replied flirtatiously.

"I'm just going to put this collar around your neck. Please try not to move," responded Divya as Hank returned with the board.

"Okay bud, we are going to roll you on your side and I'm going to feel your back before we put you on this board. Tell me if anything hurts," said Hank.

"K," said Evan weakly. Divya held his neck while Hank log rolled him and began prodding along his spine.

"Does any of this hurt?" asked Hank.

"No."

"Okay good. I'm going to strap you down now and put this oxygen mask on your face to help you breathe. Then I will start an IV and give you something for the pain. You're going to be okay Evan," promised Hank.

Too weak to respond Evan gave him a thumbs up and let sleep overpower him.

"Okay Divya. Could you sew up his scalp laceration while I splint his arm and ankle?" asked Hank.

"Yes of course," she responded while examining Evan's cut. "What happened to him Hank? How badly is he injured?"

Hank explained all he knew, while taking care of Evan's injuries. Hank gently lifted Evan's mangled arm and applied a bandage over the open fracture. Next, he formed a splint to fit around the injury and used an elastic bandage to hold it in place. He turned his attention to Evan's ankle and quickly examined it before applying another splint to his brother's wounded body. He decided to leave Evan's ribs alone until they could be x-rayed at the hospital but he applied an ice pack to the bruised area as well as to Evan's wrist and ankle. He wiped the blood off of Evan's skin and cleaned his cuts with antiseptic. He finished by covering his brother with a blanket and taking his vitals again just as the flashing red lights appeared outside the window. "He is going to be okay," Divya assured him. Hank knew she was right but seeing his brother so weak and vulnerable made his stomach turn.

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Chapter 3 will be about the ambulance ride. I will have it up within a few days or so.


	3. Practice Makes Perfect

- **Please Review**. I would love to hear what you guys think.

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The paramedics loaded Evan into the back of the ambulance and Hank sat down next to his brother, still shoeless. "I'll see you at the hospital, do you want me to inform your father?" asked Divya.

"No thank you Divya. I'll wait until Evan is ready to see visitors before I call him, but could you do me a favor and find my tennis shoes, before you leave? I think they are upstairs in my bedroom."

"Sure, no problem, I'll see you soon."

"Thanks Divya," Hank responded, smiling and truly happy he had such a good friend.

The paramedic closed the door and the driver took off with the lights flashing.

Inside the ambulance the paramedic and Hank both took a new set of vitals. The paramedic, feeling slightly useless noticed the deep cuts on both of Hanks knees.

"Dr. Lawson, your brother is doing well, why don't you rest for a second and let me take care of _your_ injuries?

Hank stopped fussing over Evan and glanced at the concerned woman, slightly confused. He quickly examined himself and noticed the blood dripping from his lower extremities. "Oh, I didn't even notice I was hurt. I go by Hank by the way."

"I'm Luna, she responded, smiling. "And that's okay. I had a patient once who was so focused on getting his family out of a burning building, that he didn't notice the three foot beam sticking out of his stomach. I had to explain it to him myself and it still took a while before he felt any pain. The effects of an adrenaline rush are amazing."

"Wow," said Hank. It _is_ hard to focus on yourself when your family is in trouble."

"Yeah, I would do anything for my family," Luna agreed, as she grabbed bandages out of a cupboard and took a seat next to Hank. "Here, I'll scoot over and you can put your leg up on the bench," she suggested.

Hank didn't like being fussed over any more than his brother did, but he could tell that Luna truly cared and only wanted to make him feel better. He cooperated and put his left leg up on the bench.

"Oh," said Luna, looking concerned. Your foot is cut up badly too. You aren't hurt anywhere else, are you Hank?"

Hank thought about it for a second. "No, I don't think so," he responded.

"Well just in case, I'm going to check you over when I'm done here," said Luna.

After studying Luna's expression, Hank could tell it was nonnegotiable so he just sat there watching Luna work and glancing at Evan's monitors now and again. First she wet a piece of gauze and wiped the blood from his knee. Then she applied antiseptic and a large bandage over the area. Next she examined his foot, wiping the blood away again but inspecting it more closely than she had with his knee.

"Hmmm, this cut on your heel is really long and deep. You're going to need quite a few stitches."

Hank chuckled, "Next time I'll be sure to grab a pair of shoes before I walk on top of broken pottery."

"Sounds like a plan," replied Luna, smiling back.

Luna finished cleaning Hank's foot and then wrapped it tightly with gauze to slow the bleeding.

"Okay, next leg please." Hank struggled to lift his right leg onto the bench but was unable. Frowning, he reached down and pulled his leg up with his arms, hissing with pain in the process.

"Oh no, I must have damaged my patellar tendon when I cut my knee," Hank explained.

"Oh, that looks really painful. Who knew broken pottery could be so dangerous," Luna replied compassionately. "I'll have to put a splint on it until it can be x-rayed. You might need surgery."

She carefully studied his knee and followed her previous method of first aid, again wrapping it tightly with gauze. Then, Luna gently placed a splint along his leg to prevent him from bending his knee. His right foot only required a few small bandages.

"Ok," Luna smiled. "Good as new. Well . . . better at least. You and your brother will both need numerous stitches. Maybe you can compare battle wounds," she suggested, trying to make light of the situation.

"Yeah he'll definitely love that," Hank replied as he pictured Evan pulling out a ruler and measuring each scar for bragging rights.

"Okay, now let me take a quick look at you."

"I'm really fine," complained Hank, trying to get out of an exam.

"Hey, I explained the effects of adrenaline before. You might not feel your injuries, so be a good patient and let me have a quick look at you. Okay?"

"Well, it's hard to argue with that. I'm not used to being a patient. This is certainly an interesting perspective."

"You might as well get used to it Hank. You are going to need lots of physical therapy for your knee and a doctor will need to stitch you up at the hospital."

"Okay, said Hank, giving in. "Do what you want."

"Very good Hank. See? Practice makes perfect," Luna said, smiling warmly. "It will just take a second. Can you follow this light with your eyes? I know you probably didn't hit your head but just humor me okay?"

"Okay," said Hank, surprised at how thorough Luna was with her patients.

"Good. Now I'm going to take your blood pressure and pulse," said Luna, as she strapped the cuff around his arm.

"Hmmm, a little high, but that's understandable given the situation with your brother. How bad is your pain?"

"Nothing I can't handle," Hank said, trying to hide the fact that his injured tendon was really starting to hurt.

"Oh hun, I know pain when I see it. You can't fool me. Are you about a seven?" Luna asked.

Hank stared at Luna chuckling again. "Yeah that sounds about right. You're really good at your job," complimented Hank.

"Thank you. I can tell that you are, as well. I'm going to give you a little morphine to help with the pain, if that is okay with you."

"Oh no thanks," Hank responded. I'm not fond of medications. I wouldn't mind a couple of aspirin though."

"No need to be a tough guy, you are in for a rough couple of weeks. You might as well take it while you can, although, you could probably get morphine anytime," she joked.

"Oh no, I wouldn't allow that of myself," Hank replied.

"Well, you are very admirable, Hank, but I insist you take just two milligrams. It will do wonders for your pain. You know the doctors will administer morphine anyway, after your surgery."

Hank thought about it for a moment and knew she was right. He studied the look of concern plastered to Luna's face. "Well just two milligrams can't hurt, and it will put her mind at ease," he thought.

"Okay," said Hank, giving in to Luna's requests once again. "Just two milligrams."

"You know," began Luna, as she prepared his shot. "Most patients with your injury would be begging for this stuff by now."

Hank smiled, "Well I guess I still need practice in patient etiquette."

"That you do," she responded, smiling back at him. "Okay, I need your arm for a quick pinch."

Hank relinquished his arm and stared at her face as she gave him the injection. She looked absolutely stunning and was only a few years younger than him. "How long have you been a paramedic?" he asked.

"About 15 years now," she responded, as she noted Evan's condition on his medical chart. "How long have you been a doctor?"

"Longer than I care to admit," he replied, chuckling. "Wow, I'm really feeling the effects of that morphine. I feel wonderful."

"I'm glad," Luna replied, sincerely.

"I'm so tired though," said Hank yawning. "Maybe if I fall asleep, my ex-girlfriend Jill will come back to me," he blurted out. "Oh my God, I'm sorry. I don't know why I said that."

Luna giggled, "Its ok, you should hear the crazy things people say on morphine. Don't worry about it."

"That's embarrassing," Hank replied groggily. "Besides she is nowhere near as beautiful as you are," Hank blurted out again. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that out loud," Hank explained, frustrated at his lack of control.

"Relax Hank; I know it's just because of the morphine," Luna said, trying to comfort him.

"No, but you are though," he said with a sudden urgency, staring into her eyes. "Not just your looks … it's you. Who you are is beautiful," Hank replied enticingly. He reached up gracefully and brushed his hand across her reddened cheek. "Beautiful," he whispered, as the ambulance came to a stop outside of the hospital.

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I hope everyone liked the new twist. Please comment and follow. I will upload the next chapter in about a week. Thanks for reading! :)


	4. Into the Hospital

**Sorry for the long wait!**

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The unexpected stop threw the disoriented paramedic off balance, causing her to land in Hank's lap. Blushing, she apologized and struggled to her feet.

"Are you OK?" Hank asked, as he held her steady.

"I'm fine, thank you," she responded, blush still visible on her cheeks.

The ambulance doors opened abruptly and Luna took a step away from Hank.

"I didn't realize we had two patients back here," said the driver.

"Well, our second patient didn't realize he was injured," she explained. "He is going to need a wheel chair.

"Okay," said the driver. "Let's take his brother in first," he said to Luna. "We'll come right back for you," said the driver, glancing at Hank.

"Okay, replied Hank, still a little loopy from the morphine. "Take good care of him, he is afraid of spiders."

"Don't worry," said Luna sweetly. "We will."

Hank watched silently as the two paramedics wheeled his brother away on the gurney. Hank wished he could be by his side and update the staff on his brother's condition, but he couldn't put weight on his leg. Frustrated and judgment impaired he decided not to wait for a wheel chair. With determination in his heart, Hank lifted his butt off of the bench with his arms, lowered himself onto the ambulance floor and scooted to the open back doors like a child. The pain wasn't too bad but the hardest part had yet to come.

Hank sat sideways dangling his good leg over the edge of the ambulance. Then, he lay down on his back so he could swing his splinted leg down. He couldn't reach the ground with his good leg, but thinking he was close, he slid off the side swinging his splinted leg down and standing upright in one swift motion. Unfortunately, the drop was about a foot more than he expected and he landed rather violently on his badly cut foot. Unable to compensate for his unsteadiness with his splinted leg, Hank was thrown off balance. He fell backwards against the hard metal stair of the ambulance, scraping his shoulder against it as he slid to the ground.

"Ow," Hank moaned aloud. "That was a stupid idea," he thought, as warm liquid trickled down his back.

Luna returned to the ambulance at that moment and just barely made out Hanks figure sitting on the ground.

"Hank? What did you do?" asked Luna as she rushed to his side.

"Sorry. I just wanted to go with my brother. I think this morphine is clouding my judgment."

"I have to agree," she said. "Are you alright?" she asked, unable to see his bloody shirt in the dark of the night.

"I think my back is bleeding," he replied.

"What am I going to do with you?" she asked as she took out her flash light. "There's a lot of blood back here. I'm going to cut off your shirt so I can take a look."

"Okay," Hank responded.

She removed his shirt and inspected his new wound. There was a large full thickness gash just above his right shoulder blade about 4 inches long.

"You cut yourself on the ambulance?" she asked, surprised.

"Yeah, why?" he asked.

"Well it's really bad. I can see your fatty tissue," she said as she walked over to examine the ambulance.

"Great, he said sarcastically. "Do you think I will win the scar competition with my brother now?"

"Quite possibly," she responded, smiling. I think this is what did it," she said, pointing to a sharp piece of rusty metal that stuck out from underneath the step. "When was your last tetanus shot?" she asked, as she climbed into the ambulance to get more bandages.

"I'm actually due for a booster," he responded.

"Okay," she said as she returned to his side. "I'm just going to wrap you up tightly until I hand you over to the hospital. I need to try to stop this bleeding before you pass out on me," she said as she placed a bulky bandage over the cut. While she held pressure, Hank helped her wrap gauze under his arms and across his chest. With both of her hands now free, Luna wrapped the gauze around his body a few more times.

Thinking about what Hank said to her earlier in the ambulance, she allowed her eyes to travel around his shirtless body, studying every shadow of muscle present in the dim lighting. Butterflies danced in her stomach as she pictured him holding her body tightly against his own. He had called her beautiful and she saw sincerity in his eyes, but her self-esteem was too low for her to believe him.

Luna's ex-boyfriend was an abusive man who always put her down. He had called her ugly and worthless so many times that she believed him wholeheartedly. The idea that a wonderful man that she just met, could think she was beautiful was impossible. "It _is_ impossible, isn't it?" she wondered to herself.

"Okay Hank. Let's get you inside now. Do you think you can stand up if I help you or should I radio for my partner to come back out?" she asked, as she pushed the wheel chair directly behind him, locking the wheels in place.

"I think we can do this together," he said.

"Okay. I am going to grab under your arm and pull you up. I need you to keep all your weight on your good leg and lean back into the chair. Are you ready?" she asked.

"Yep, let's do this," he responded. Luna helped him up slowly and guided him into the chair. She could tell he was in pain but knew it would only last for a second. She raised the leg rest up so he could set his splinted leg on it and unlocked the wheels. "Good job Hank, now let's see if we can get you inside without any more injuries."

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**Please review and follow.** I will try to upload the next chapter within a few weeks. Thanks for reading!


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